AFFDF Financial Assistance for Treatment of Serious Diseases to Non-Pensioner Ex-Servicemen (All Ranks)/Widows

What is the AFFDF serious-disease financial assistance scheme?

AFFDF Financial Assistance for Treatment of Serious Diseases is a medical-relief grant funded by the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) and administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) under the Ministry of Defence. According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the scheme helps non-pensioner ex-servicemen of all ranks and their widows meet the cost of treating specified serious diseases when they do not have access to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) or Armed Forces medical facilities.

The Kendriya Sainik Board is the apex body of the Government of India that frames policies and schemes for the resettlement, welfare and rehabilitation of ex-servicemen and their dependents. The Armed Forces Flag Day Fund is one of the principal funds it manages, built largely from public contributions collected around Armed Forces Flag Day on 7 December each year.

Key features

• Reimburses a large share of the cost of treating listed serious diseases.
• Aimed specifically at non-pensioners, who fall outside ECHS cover.
• Routed through the district-level Zila Sainik Board, not a central office.
• Paid electronically by ECS into the beneficiary's bank account.

How much financial assistance does the AFFDF scheme provide?

According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the grant is calculated as a percentage of approved medical expenses, and the percentage depends on rank:

• Non-pensioner officers and their widows: 75% of approved medical expenses.
• Non-pensioner other ranks and their widows: 90% of approved medical expenses.

The one-time ceiling is Rs 1,50,000. For diseases that need continuing treatment, specifically cancer and dialysis. The assistance is capped at Rs 75,000 per year. The exact amount sanctioned in any case depends on the approved bills and the recommendation of the Zila Sainik Board.

Which serious diseases are covered?

The Kendriya Sainik Board lists the following conditions as covered under the scheme:

• Cardiac procedures: angiography, angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), open-heart surgery, heart valve replacement and pacemaker implant.
• Cerebral stroke.
• Prostate surgery.
• Joint replacement.
• Renal (kidney) failure and dialysis.
• Cancer.

If an ex-serviceman needs treatment for a serious disease that is not on this list, the application is referred to the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) for a decision. In other words, an unlisted condition is not automatically rejected, but it needs a specific medical recommendation.

Who is eligible for the AFFDF serious-disease grant?

You can apply if:

• You are a non-pensioner ex-serviceman of any rank, or the widow of one.
• You are not covered by ECHS or Armed Forces Medical Services facilities.
• You are being treated for one of the covered serious diseases (or an unlisted serious disease that can be referred to DGAFMS).
• Your case is recommended by your Zila Sainik Board.

You cannot apply if:

• You are a pensioner ex-serviceman with access to ECHS. This grant is for non-pensioners, and pensioners are expected to use ECHS cover.
• The medical cost has already been reimbursed by ECHS, AFMS, an insurer or any other source. The scheme requires a self-declaration that no prior reimbursement has been received.
• You are a serving member of the armed forces (this is an ex-servicemen scheme).

Because the grant is means-tested against your access to other medical cover, the Zila Sainik Board's scrutiny of your status is central to the decision.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the AFFDF serious-disease grant

There is no direct online citizen application for this grant. It is a paper-based, board-verified process routed through your district Zila Sainik Board. Follow these steps:

1. Contact your Zila Sainik Board (ZSB) in the district where you are registered as an ex-serviceman, and ask for the prescribed application form for AFFDF financial assistance for serious diseases.
2. Assemble your documents — discharge documents, ESM/widow identity card, original doctor-countersigned bills, hospital admission and discharge reports, the self-declaration on no prior reimbursement, and your bank details.
3. Submit the completed form with all documents to the ZSB. The Zila Sainik Welfare Officer (ZSWO) scrutinises the case and, if in order, records a recommendation.
4. The ZSB forwards the case to the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat, which examines it, sanctions the eligible amount and releases payment by ECS to your bank account.
5. Follow up with the ZSB for the status of sanction and payment.

Where to get help

Because the scheme is administered district by district, the first point of contact for any query, eligibility, forms, status of a pending case, is your Zila Sainik Board / Zila Sainik Welfare Office. The Kendriya Sainik Board does not publish a single national toll-free helpline dedicated to this grant, so be cautious of any number claiming to fast-track a sanction for a fee. No agent charge is payable at any stage; the grant is paid in full by ECS to the beneficiary's own account.

The Kendriya Sainik Board publishes scheme details on its official portal at ksb.gov.in, where the serious-disease grant appears under the list of AFFDF welfare schemes.